Pretty Woman
by Alanna official
Summary: Philinda Pretty Woman AU. Phil finds himself alone after his girlfriend breaks up with him and happens to cross paths with the alluring Melinda May. During their week together romance blossoms, but is the gap between their professions too big to cross? Can a business man find love with a prostitute?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

 **So I recently watched Pretty Woman for the first time and I loved the film. I thought it would be a great philinda AU so here it is. This is un-beta-ed so all mistakes are mine. Please read and enjoy and leave a comment on the bottom.**

* * *

The party down below was humming with chatter and music as the guests mingled. He frowned in frustration as he looked out the window, his girlfriend ranting on the phone about breaking up with him right when he needs her the most.

"I speak to your secretary more than I speak to you Phil. I'm not here to be at your beck and call!"

"What, I-"

"No Phil," she interrupts him "I can't go on like this anymore. I need to be able to live my own life and not have to work it around yours for whenever you might need me."

"That's not true," he tried.

"I'm leaving," she said with a finality that was hard to fight with. "I'm moving out now."

"So that's it?" He asked a little stunned by her decision.

"That's it," she replied with little remorse.

"Well goodbye then Rosalind," he added only to realise that she'd already hung up the phone.

Placing his phone down on the table he resisted the urge to pound his fist on the desk in frustration. The low murmurings of the party below reached his ears and even though it was his company that was hosting it he needed to get out. Grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair he shrugged it on as he left the room and headed down stairs. A thousand thoughts were flying through his mind as he made his way through the party.

"Phil," an old girlfriend of his called as she spotted him.

"Cynthia," he relied pausing for a moment planting a small smile on his lips as he greeted her.

"It's so good to see you Phil, I just got married!" She laughed happily.

"Congratulations!" He nodded happy for her. "Did you speak to my secretary more than me?" He asked her a little tentatively.

"Phil," she looked at him meaningfully. "She was one of the bridesmaids at my wedding."

"Oh," a slightly sad look flashed across his features before he covered it up with a happy smile. "Well I'm glad you two hit it off," he touched her arm briefly before moving off again to get out and away from the party.

Picking a car quickly for his escape he quickly realised that he didn't have any keys.

"Phil where are you going?" His lawyer called as he came out of the building towards him.

"Can I have the keys to your car?" He asked avoiding answering the question.

"Sure," his lawyer handed over his car keys pulling them from his jacket pocket. "But where are you going?"

"I just need to get out Grant," he sighed unlocking the car and hopping into the driver's seat. "But don't worry, I'll still be able to close that deal."

A brief look of relief flickered across Grant's face before he realised that his employer and friend was about to drive off in his brand new expensive car. His corvette was vintage and he didn't really like the idea of Phil just driving off in it, especially when he hadn't driven himself in a while.

"Do you even know how to drive this?" He asked a little worriedly.

"Sure, how hard can it be?" He responded a little too nonchalantly for Grant's liking.

"Well it new so just-" he faltered for a moment as Phil bunny hopped off in his brand new corvette.

Crushing his hands into tight fists he wished he'd never given his keys over to Phil. His new car was so going to get wrecked.

* * *

Her eyes opened slowly as she roused from the depths of sleep. Looking over at her clock she read 7:12 pm. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she headed over the the small bathroom of the apartment taking a quick shower before getting dressed. Carefully and with steady hands she applied her make up creating a perfect winged eyeliner and smokey eye shadow. Popping her lips she made sure her lipstick wasn't tacky before heading over to her bed and pulling on her boots, the leather reaching up to her knees. Standing back up straight she readjusted her shirt, tucking her sleeveless crimson red blouse into her little black skirt with the first few buttons undone. Tugging on her leather jacket she checked her hair in the mirror repositioning the wig just slightly so that the red highlights were clearly shown amongst the curled brunette strands brushing at the top of her shoulders. Satisfied with her look for the night she picked up her bag and opened the door peering out. The distinct sound of her landlord yelling had her recoiling, shutting the door behind her as she realised she couldn't use the stairs. Her roommate had forgotten to pay the rent, again, and if the landlord caught her she would not hear the end of it.

Walking over to the window she opened it up before slipping out onto the fire escape. Pulling down a few ladder rails she climbed down carefully, with a practised routine. A few people cast curious looks in her direction but she brushed them off as she walked by refusing to let their stares bother her. Making her way through the busy crowds people hardly cast her more than a second glance as they all hurried on eager to get on with their night. She watched as a policeman interrogated a young man over an incident. Slipping in unnoticed behind them she saw the body of the young girl I question sprawled out in a dumpster. Another of many young drug addicts. Exiting back out unseen she headed over to one of the frequent haunts of her roommate.

"You seen Nat?" She asked the bartender who told her to have a look up stairs.

Nodding her thanks at him she headed up to find her roommate throwing back a shot and surrounded by drugs.

"What the hell Nat?!" She exclaimed mad.

Her roommate startled up straight at her voice.

"You spent our rent money on drugs?!" She demanded.

"Aww come on Mel, I just needed a little pick me up," Natasha whined a little.

"I just saw the body of an addict in a dumpster!" Melinda told her with anger flashing in her eyes. "I can't believe you spent our rent on drugs."

Frustrated and stressed Melinda stomped down the stairs without waiting for a reply.

"Mel, wait," Natasha called after her stumbling down the stairs after her. "I'm sorry," she apologised as she reached her down at the bar.

Letting out a sigh Melinda shook her head in frustration.

"Our rent is due this week and we don't have any money," she stated a little exasperatedly.

"Look we'll be fine," Natasha soothed as she picked a few olives and cherries from the bar earning herself a warning yell from the bartender. "We'll do a bit of work tonight and it'll be fine. Ok?" She held up a cherry as a peace offering.

Unable to resist she rolled her eyes before taking the offered cherry.

"Ok," Melinda replied her anger now evaporated.

"Good," Nat smiled placing a hand on her shoulder as they headed out of the club.

* * *

The night is cool as they walk down the street looking for potential clients. A couple of lads speed past in their car making lewd comments at them with a laugh as the hoon off. They both roll their eyes but refuse to react otherwise.

"It's a bit of a slow night," Nat comments as they hang about on their usual corner.

"Yeah," Melinda replies as she leans against a lamppost closing her eyes for just a second. "Sometimes I think it would help if we could-"

"No pimps," her friend looked at her sharply. "We say when, we say who, we say how much."

"Right," she nodded her head.

The girls that ended up working for pimps usually ended up worse off working overtime and underpaid. Something that neither of them want. This way, without a pimp, they are in control of themselves and everything is on their terms. The sound of a lurching car and its thrumming engine breaks through the silence and has them looking up as a bright red corvette comes down the street towards them.

"Incoming," Nat says as her own eyes follow the bright vintage vehicle.

"You wanna take this one?" Her friend asks giving her a gentle nudge with her elbow.

"You sure?" She asks in return raising her eyebrows in surprise.

"Yeah, you look hot tonight, no way is he gonna say no!" Her friend winks at her slapping her butt as she walks past towards the car that's pulled over to the side of the road. "Don't forget, nothing less than a hundred!"

Melinda walks off with a little wave to her friend as she acknowledges the comment.

"You need a little help there?" She asks as she saunters up to the car leaning in through the open window also leaving her cleavage on display.

"I uh- yeah," the guy inside looks up at her as she tilts her head slightly to look at him through the window. "Do you know how to get to Beverly Hills?"

"It'll cost you ten dollars," she smirks at him watching him with sparkling dark eyes.

"Ten dollars?" He asks.

"Twenty dollars for the personal experience," she winks at him before straightening up.

Looking through the window all he can see is her long legs, swallowing he looks at her again as she ducks her head down waiting for his response.

"Might as well go for it," he says to himself, suddenly finding her sitting in the passenger seat beside him.

She obviously has way better hearing than he thought was humanly possible. He looks at her drinking her in from the leather boots to the red highlights as she gives him a flirty little smile.

"I hope you're not on a time schedule," she smirks at him snapping him back into action.

Tearing his gaze away from her he pulls back onto the road as she compliments the car.

"This car is amazing," she tells him as he struggles to shift the gears.

"Yeah, doesn't feel like it," he grimaced a little as the car bunny hops a little.

"Geez, don't you know how to drive?" She asks him playfully as he drives doggedly at a jarring pace.

"It's been awhile since I drove," he admits.

"May I?" She asks as she rattles off a few facts about cars, courtesy of growing up in a neighbourhood full of boys.

He nods pulling over and they swap seats, the car finally driving as it should be driven without the constant bunny hopping and jarring gear changes.

"Did you know your foot is the same size as your forearm," she tells him with a casual shrug as he looks at her a little impressed. "Just a bit of trivia. An ice breaker," she tells him, "this car really is amazing to drive!"

He chuckles beside her enjoying her enthusiasm.

"Is it hard?" He asks her as she talks about the mechanics of the car and how it drives and how it compares to other cars.

Her eyes flick over to his briefly with a devilish glint in them as she reaches her hand over into his lap squeezing his crotch briefly as she smirked teasingly at him.

"Not yet, but eventually," she let out a sweet laugh before retracting her hand.

* * *

He can't help the small smile that she brings to his lips as she lights up with joy behind the wheel of the car. Eventually they wind up outside his hotel and he sees her eyes widen just a fraction as she takes it in. Exiting the car one of the doormen drive it away as they stand together outside the very expensive hotel.

"So, where do you go from here?" He asks as he hands her her twenty dollars and she readjusts the strap of her bag over her shoulder.

"I'll probably just catch a cab with my twenty dollars," she smirks at him a little.

"Ok then," he says a little awkwardly as she brushes past him to sit on a bench near the bus stop.

Watching her for a moment he debates whether he should leave her and go into the hotel or not. For some reason his rational mind seems to have abandoned him tonight as he walks over towards her.

"No cab?" He asks.

"I'm more of a bus kind of girl," she looks over her shoulder at him with just a hint of that spark in her eye.

"I'm Phillip," he holds his hand out to her.

"Melinda," she replies taking his hand in hers.

"Would you like to come up with me Melinda?" He asks still holding her hand.

Rising from the bench she smiles a dazzling smile at him.

"Yes," she replies simply.

Tugging on her hand he pulls her back to him as she begins to walk towards the hotel.

"Here, put this on," he tells her holding out his coat for her. "This establishment is a little different," he elaborates a little as she raises her eyebrows at him.

Draping the coat over her shoulders she slips her arms into the sleeves as he leads her into the building with a gentle hand placed between her shoulder blades.

"Woah," she looks around the lobby with lips parted in awestruck wonder.

The lobby is constructed with marble floors and columns and all the guests are dressed in expensive fashionable clothes. With eyes wide she follows him over to the front desk as he signs in.

"Phillip Coulson, penthouse suite," he told the lady handing over his credit card.

"There you go Mister Coulson," she smiled as she handed him back his card and his key card. "Enjoy your stay."

He smiled at her briefly before pulling away leading Melinda along with him.

"People are staring," she muttered lowly under her breath.

"Don't worry about them," he replied reassuringly with a gentle squeeze on her shoulder.

Waiting at the elevator an elderly couple side eyed them, their stares making her skin burn. She was used to being looked at, her job was aimed at catching the eyes of men, but she wasn't used to this sort of judgemental scrutiny. With a soft 'ding' sound the doors of the elevator opened to the smiling face of the lift attendant. Striding into the lift she flopped down on the lounge inside it with a mischievous grin.

"Look, room for two," she lifted her leg up onto the lounge as she lay back.

With cheeks tinted with the barest of blushes he walked into the lounge with a muttered 'first time using the lift' to the elderly couple watching on. The lift attendant hid an amused smile as the doors closed.

"Hm, top floor," she raised her eyebrows at him as the lift attendant pressed the button for the top floor.

"Penthouse," he replied like it wasn't a big deal.

Giving him an appraising look she rose from the lounge as the doors opened. Allowing him to lead the way she followed as he attempted to unlock the door.

"Damn thing," he muttered as the key card kept jamming in the slot.

"Try this way," she smirked at him as she turned the card around in his hands so that it was the right way up.

Inserting it in the slot the light flashed green as the door clicked open. With a slightly sheepish expression he pushed the door open, leading her into his suite.

"Definitely got a nice place," she commented as she wandered around having a look at the rooms. "Oh and you've got an incredible view," she said excitedly as she walked out onto the balcony to admire the view.

"I never go out there," he told her as he settled down at his desk sorting through a few papers.

"What? Why?" she asked confusedly as she walked back away from the beautiful lights of the area standing out against the dark night sky towards him.

"Fear of heights," he said simply as she trailed her fingers along the back of his chair before situating herself on the edge of his desk.

"What's the point of having the top floor then?" she crossed her legs sitting back a little further on his desk.

"It's the best," he shrugged leaning back in his chair.

"Hmm… seems like a waste," she pursed her lips at him.

Rubbing the back of his neck a little awkwardly he looked down unsure of what to do next.

"You don't know how this kind of thing works hey?" she asked him tilting her head to the side a little.

"Uhh, no not really," he admitted looking up at her. "This is a bit awkward."

"Well to start with, you could pay me," she suggested.

"Right, how much?" he asked pulling his wallet from inside his jacket.

"A hundred dollars," she said simply.

He raises his eyebrows a little surprised by the price a pulls out a hundred handing it over.

"We don't work for less than a hundred these days," she told him as she tucked the money into the top of her left boot. "So what would you like, you've got an hour."

"A hundred an hour," he commented tilting his head back. "What if I were to ask you to stay the night? How much would that be?"

She looked at him like he had suddenly grown a second head.

"For an overnight, five hundred dollars," she stated firmly waiting for him to refuse.

"Five hundred dollars then," he replied pulling out a couple of more notes from his wallet.

Raising her eyebrows at him she took the money with a slight disbelieving shake of her head. Nobody ever asked for an overnight. Not nowadays anyway.

"So which one would you like?" She asked pulling out an assortment of condoms from a hidden pocket in her boots. "Would you like the red one, the green one, the purple one or my last gold one for champions."

Holding the little packets up near his face he captured her small hands in his lowering them.

"I want to get to know you a little," he told her quietly not wanting to seem like he was taking advantage of her.

She rolled her eyes just the tiniest bit as she sat back a little.

"Look you don't need to woo me," she looked at him honestly, "out of everything tonight I'm a pretty sure thing."

A deep sigh escaped him as he rubbed a hand over his face. God this whole situation was a bit weird. A knock on the door pulls him back into the present as he stands up to get the door. Thanking the room service he takes the bottle of complimentary champagne and the two glasses. Pouring them each a glass he handed one to her with an encouraging look as she paused a little hesitantly before taking it. Her eyes widened in surprise as she took her first sip.

"This tastes wonderful," she exclaimed marvelling at the liquid in her glass.

He smiled a little at her reaction.

"I'm glad you like it," he responded.

* * *

The television was on low as she watched spread out on the floor with an assortment of foods and alcohol surrounding her.

"You sure you don't want to join me down here?" She asked him playfully as she looked up at him sitting in the armchair next to her as he read through a few legal agreements.

"I'm good," he answered as he glanced at her for a moment before turning over a page.

"Ok," she shrugged turning back to the television.

A short laugh escaped her as she watched, entertained by the amusing antics of the comic actors on screen. The sound of her laughter turning the corners of his lips upwards as he found enjoyment in her amusement. Her eyes glance over at him and she stops laughing as she realises that he is watching her. Biting her bottom lip she shifts up onto her knees moving closer to him. He watches her closely waiting to see how things are going to unfold. Her hands glide up his legs stroking the tops of his thighs before moving up his chest. Her fingers toy with his tie as she loosens the knot and undoes the buttons of his shirt.

"Where would you like me to kiss you?" She asked lowly looking up at him through dark lashes.

"Where do you do?" He murmured having a little trouble focusing as she began untucking her top and undoing the buttons. Removing the top from her shoulders she let it puddle on the floor before slipping out of her boots and shimmying out of her skirt. He could feel his pants beginning to tighten as he watched her undress before him.

"Wherever," she breathed into his ear as she leaned forwards over him, her chest brushing up against his. Nothing but her matching black lace panties and bra covering her porcelain skin. "Except the lips," she pressed a finger to his lips with a small smirk before she slithered down his body covering his chest with kisses until she reached the waistband of his trousers.

* * *

Readjusting his position he evaluated the room as he leant back against the bed's headboard. Clothes were strewn across the floor and Melinda's wig lay upon the top of the dresser. Looking down he admired the beautiful woman asleep in his bed naked, dark hair splayed across the pillow. He wondered why she wore a wig when she had such lovely hair, it just made him want to run his fingers through it and feel the silky strands slipping through his fingers. A small smile tugged at his lips as he watched her sleep with a serene expression, how had such an amazing woman ended up doing this? It didn't make sense to him. She was bright and sweet, funny and charismatic. And he wasn't sure if he was quite ready to let go of her yet after tonight.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **So that was all written in the span of about 3 days. It was actually quite a bit of work so please leave a comment and provide me with some feedback. Comments make my day and encourage me to write more ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**

 **Wow... So I haven't updated this in ages but it is a longer chapter so I think that makes up for it. I'm trying to update all my stories at least once before I go start my new and final year of school, fingers crossed that I can manage it. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this!**

* * *

The quiet rustle of the newspaper is all that can be heard in the room as he turns the page of his newspaper. She pads quietly into the room running a hand through her hair only slightly self consciously, feeling the edges of the robe tied around her brushing against her legs as she walks.

"Good morning," he greets her with a smile, eyes twinkling at her just a little as he looked at her over the top of his newspaper.

"Good morning," she smiles back only a touch uncomfortable, not being used to waking up at a client's place.

"I got you some breakfast," he gestures to the spread of food laid out on the table in front of him. "I wasn't sure what you liked so I ordered everything," he states as she raises an eyebrow at all the food.

"Thanks," she smiles at him, touched by his thoughtfulness as she picks up a croissant.

Walking over to the balcony she breathes in deeply enjoying the clear morning air. He really has an exceptional view from up here. It's a shame he doesn't make the most of it.

"So what are your plans for today?" she asks as she wanders back into the room over to him, resting on the table in front of him.

"You know there's a perfectly good chair over there," he raises an eyebrow looking pointedly at the chair adjacent to him.

With a small sigh and a roll of her eyes she slips down onto the seat curling her legs up beneath her.

"I've got to go into work for a few things, meetings and the like and preparing to seal this deal we've been working on."

She nods along listening to him as she nibbles a piece of melon. Clearing his throat a little her eyes flick over to him as he folds his newspaper.

"I was wondering," he starts with a hesitant tone in his voice. "Would you like to stay the week with me? I have a couple of dinners and events that I need to attend and I would like your company."

Her dark eyes search his face for a moment before her lips curve into the barest hint of a smirk.

"Four thousand dollars," she states.

He looks at her for a moment before replying.

"Two."

"Three and a half."

"Two and a half."

"Three."

"Done."

She smiles at him reaching a hand to shake on their deal.

"You know I would have done four," he whispers in her ear pulling her into him.

"And I would have done two," she looks at him through dark lashes before pulling back. "I'm going to use the tub, that alright?"

He nods picking up and unfolding his paper, "sure, go ahead."

She smiles at him before leaving for the bathroom, shaking his head he tries to focus on the words on the paper in front of him. His phone rings breaking through the silence of the room, startling him just a little.

"Phil Coulson," he states as he answers his phone.

"Phil," Grant says sounding hassled, "I hope you're coming in today because Gonzalez just showed up and he's considering selling. We need to close this deal, getting his company before others is important."

"I'll be in," he responds calmly, "don't worry."

Hanging up the phone he rises from the table to get dressed to go into his office. Changing into a suit he knocks on the door to the bathroom before entering.

"Come in," Melinda calls from inside.

He opens the door seeing her watching him playfully from the bathtub.

"I would ask if you wanted to join, but it looks like you're going out," she runs her gaze up and down his figure teasingly.

He clears his throat before speaking, walking closer to where she is at the head of the tub.

"I have to go to work but I have a dinner tonight with one of my clients. I'd like you to go shopping tonight, find a dress for dinner."

She raises her eyebrows at him but lets him continue.

"I've put some money out on the table for you to go shopping. Buy something nice, and perhaps a couple of other outfits for the week."

She tilts her head up to look at him, suds running down her neck.

"What kind of dress?" she looks at him with a playful glint in her eyes.

"Something nice," he answers generally.

"Like what?" She turns back to her bath scooping bubbles up in her hand.

"Nothing too flashy. Not too sexy," he looks a little awkward, "conservative. Y'know?"

"Boring," she rolls her eyes at him.

"Elegant," he responds.

"Is that all?" she asks blowing the bubbles from her hand.

He nods before remembering something else.

"There's a keycard on the table for you as well so you can come and go as you please."

Blowing a few bubbles from her hands she looks at him with a small smile teasingly.

"Still sure you can't join?" she cocks her head at him.

He pauses for a moment before looking at her with a slight upturn of his lips.

"I'm sure."

"Ok," she replies flicking her eyes towards him.

"Ok then," he says as he gives her one last look before heading out the room.

* * *

When she finally exits the bathroom ready for the day, Phil has already left for his office and she feels slightly out of place all alone in his penthouse. It's almost as if she's intruding but that's ridiculous seeing as though he gave her a key - well a keycard actually - and told her that she's free to come and go as she pleases. Swiping the keycard from the table she slips it into the back pocket of her skirt before reaching for the envelope that was beneath it. Opening it up her eyebrows rise impossibly high as she takes in just how much money he has given her to go shopping. Does he expect her to buy the entire store or something? Shrugging to herself, she takes the envelope of cash anyway and shoves it in the pocket of her jacket. Picking up the phone in the room she dials her friends number with a smile on her face. Unfortunately she's only met with their voices on the recording machine and has to settle for leaving a message instead of actually talking to her friend.

"Hey Nat," she starts, fiddling with the cord of the phone just a little. "I just wanted to let you know that I got an overnighter and I'm currently at The Regent Beverly Wilshire so I'll leave the $500 down at the lobby for you to collect. Just give them your name ok? Also I'm going to be staying with this client for the week. Ok love ya."

Hanging up the phone she stares at it for a moment almost as if she's waiting for her friend to ring back. Sure that her friend won't be ringing any time soon she decides she better head down to the lobby to make sure her friend can get the money. Assessing the room before leaving, she make sure she has her keycard before shutting the door behind her. Pressing the button for the elevator she waits patiently for the soft ding as it arrives at her floor, the doors opening to reveal the same young lift attendant from last night. His eyes track over her figure almost unconsciously as he takes in her attire and she smirks at the pink flush of his neck beneath the collar of his uniform. He's just a boy really and she doesn't really mind his curious look. Unlike the others in this hotel his stare feels completely benign and free of judgement. It doesn't make her skin burn and itch with irritation and suppressed anger. The ride down is over quickly and she's glad that it's just her and the boy in the elevator without any of the judgemental clients that she loathes to be around.

"Thanks, Fitz!" She smirks at him with a cheeky wink as she reads his name tag, strutting out of the elevator as the doors open up to reveal the lobby.

A bright shade of pink covers his cheeks which makes her smirk even bigger. Poor boy. Walking up to the front desk she waits in line for service taking the time to just observe the place and the people. When she finally reaches the front of the line she smiles at the young attendant before pulling out her money.

"Hi, I wanted to leave this so my friend could pick it up later," she tells the young woman, Jemma she reads on the name badge.

"Right," the young woman states pulling out an envelope and placing it in front of her with a pen. "Just fill out your details on the envelope and slip the money inside and we'll take care of the rest."

The girl has a British accent which makes her lips quirk up a little, how cute! Filling out the required details, she slips her money inside the envelope before sealing it and handing it over to the girl.

"Excellent," the girl states picking up a pen, "and the name of the person who is to be picking this up?"

"Natasha Romanoff," she answers.

The girl writes it down before looking up at her with a pleasant smile.

"There you go Ms May," she says as she glances down at the envelope with Melinda's details on it, "all done."

"Thank you," she smiles back in return before stepping back from the counter and allowing the next person through.

Looking around the room and checking the time on the tall grandfather clock near the entrance she realises that it's midday already. If she's to get a dress for tonight she better hurry up or she might not find one in time. Exiting the hotel, she walks the streets looking for a suitable shop to buy a dress. Entering the first shop which she chooses however she finds herself met with either disapproving states or treated like she simply doesn't exist. Browsing through one of many racks of dresses she is affronted when a woman in a flower dress approaches her with disdain.

"I'm afraid that may be out of your price range," she says in a sickeningly sweet voice filled with false concern.

"I think I'm fine," Melinda looks at her giving her a polite smile before moving onto another rack of dresses.

"I think this type of store might not be suitable for your type," another of the stores workers pipes up coming to stand next to her work mate in the flower dress.

She stares at the hard for a moment before turning on her heel and promptly leaving the shops premises. How rude! But it's not the only instance unfortunately. Entering numerous and various stores she finds herself degraded and insulted by the employees and even by some other customers. She's quite well aware of how she doesn't really fit into this part of town but to be treated in such a way is hurtful and enrages her in a way that could quite possibly lead to violence. That would only support their prejudiced preconceptions of her however, something which she refuses to do. Making no headway at all and feeling utterly defeated, she walks back to the hotel. And if it weren't possible for her day to get any worse is somehow manages to do so. Walking through the lobby she is stopped by a tall imposing black man with an eyepatch.

"I'm sorry but where do you think you're going?" He asks her in a commanding voice.

She slips the keycard from her pocket and holds it up for him to see.

"I'm staying here," she replies and honestly she's had enough of today.

"We don't allow your kind here," he tells her firmly and she can feel her hackles rising at the comment.

 _Her kind?_ Now just what the hell does he mean by that?!

"I'm going to have to escort you out," he adds placing a hand in her upper arm.

She jerks herself away from his touch backing up a step or two.

"What?!" She exclaims, "you can't!"

"I can and I will," he counters, "I don't know who issued you with this but-"

"Phil Coulson," she cuts him off. "I'm staying with Phil Coulson, he gave me the key card."

The man pauses for a moment as he takes in her words.

"Come with me," he orders leading her to his office.

Gesturing to one of the chairs situated in front of his desk she takes a seat grumpily as he picks up the phone.

"Phil? Hi it's Nick," he talks into the phone keeping his eyes away from her. "Yes yes, I'm well. I've actually got a question for you… Yes I've got a young woman here telling me that she's staying with you. Is that true?" He falls silent as he waits for Phil to answer on the other end of the line, nodding his head as he listens to Phil's answer. She stares around the room unable to hear what Phil is saying in the phone and instead reads the nameplate on the desk 'Nicholas Fury'.

"Ah I see," Nick states after Phil has finished, "ok bye."

He hangs up the phone settling it down on the receiver with a quiet click before turning to face her.

"Phil has accounted for you fortunately, but it cannot be known that we condone this sort of… arrangement," he looks at her giving her a stern glare with his one good eye. "As Phil is one of our most loyal and trusted clients however," Nick went on, "we are willing to make an acception for him. Discretion is of course best which is why formally you are staying with your uncle for the week whilst you are in town before you return home."

"But he's not my uncle," Melinda states pursing her lips together.

"It doesn't matter," Nick replies without hesitation, "image is what's important."

She looks at him hard, eyes searching.

"Speaking of image," he adds looking her over. "You'll need to get some new attire if you're going to a dinner to night as Phil said."

Her shoulders visibly deflate at that and it's almost like something snaps inside her.

"I would if I could," she tells him curtly, "but nobody will serve me."

Dark serious eyes scrutinise her for a moment and she tries to disguise her hurt with angers as she fiddles with the hem of her jacket a little. He picks up the phone again and after a few clipped sentences places it back down again.

"You have a private meeting with Ms Maria Hill later who will assist you in finding suitable attire," he states. "You will be chauffeured by Mr Mackenzie."

She blinks at him for a moment without saying anything, stunned a little by his show of goodwill. Even if they didn't get off to the best of starts he is still kind enough to help her out in her difficult situation.

"Thank you Mr Fury," she says softly as he stands to lead her to the door ready to be off to complete her shopping.

"Of course Ms May," he replies courteously, strictly professional but she can see the slightest hints of warmth in his dark eyes that were previously cold and flinty.

They say nothing more as he leads her to a waiting car, her chauffeur ready. The car ride is short and before she knows it they are pulling up in front of a large clothing department store. Swallowing just a little nervously she steps out of the car and heads in. Walking in she goes over to one of the desks and tells the lady that she is there to see Maria Hill. The woman seems to look her up and down with a cynical glint in her eye before picking up the phone.

"She'll be down in a minute," she relays with a sour twist of her lips.

Melinda nods at her choosing to ignore the waves of judgment rolling off the woman as she stands back to wait.

"Ms May?" An attractive brunette woman asks as she approaches, her high heels clicking on the marble floors.

"Yes, Ms Hill?" She responds turning her full attention to the woman.

"Yes I am. I received a call from Nicholas Fury about you," she states shaking her hand, "now what can I help you with?"

She honestly feels a bit overwhelmed by such a big store and the variety of clothes laid out before her.

"I'm supposed to get some dresses and the like, suitable clothes for dinners and functions. Social gatherings," she finally answers.

"Ah, I see," Maria says as she leads them deeper into the store. "Then we'll be needing to get you a couple of lovely new outfits."

Following the woman, she glances at the racks of different clothes that they pass all in the finest fabrics and sewn to perfection. Unlike all her previous encounters, Maria is kind and polite and doesn't seem bothered at all by Melinda's position or 'type'. It's refreshing and to be quite honest, it's nice to be treated as a regular person not some object of disgust or pity or lust. The woman is an efficient worker too, so soon they have quite a substantial pile of clothes. A lovely dress for dinner and a couple of other skirts, blouses and dresses for whatever other occasions she may have to go to. She's also got a couple of pairs of lovely heels to go with her outfits and it feels almost like it's too much. She tells Maria as much but the woman tells her it's not really and that it's better to have more than less. It makes her think for a moment because for most of her life she's had to make do with less. The idea of having more is foreign and strange. She and Natasha really only make enough to keep themselves afloat, especially with some of Natasha's habits. There's an envelope full of money in her pocket however so for once in her life she can have a little more. Paying for all the clothes she's a little nervous handing over the cash. It seems like such an awful amount of money and she feels guilty about spending so much of Phil's money on herself when he's paying her as it is. Maria smiles as she takes the money and hands her the bags and soon she's walking out of the store with more bags of clothes than she'd planned on getting and Mr Mackenzie is driving her back to the hotel.

When she gets back into Phil's suite it's empty and she's so grateful for the quiet that envelopes her after spending most of the day surrounded by people and noise. She is suddenly startled by the sound of the phone ringing breaking through the quiet. Dropping her bags she rushes over to the phone to answer it.

"Hello?" She answers.

"Hi Melinda, it's Phil," Phil replies, "I'm a bit held up at the office right now but I will meet you down at the bar at seven to pick you up for the dinner."

"What you're not coming up?" She asks with a tinge of confusion in her voice.

"No," he responds evenly, "I'll get changed here and pick you up at seven."

"Ok," she wraps the cord of the phone around her finger, "I got a dress."

"Good," he answers and she can hear the background chatter of someone calling to him. "I have to go," her tells her with a bit if a weary sigh at the end. "But also, don't pick up the phone."

She frowns at his odd instruction.

"Why?" She asks frowning a little.

"Just don't," he replies, "ok? Bye."

"Bye," she echoes back as the line goes dead.

Placing the phone back on the receiver she frowns at it before it rings again suddenly. Instinctively she reaches towards it picking it up and placing it to her ear.

"Yes?" She asks.

"I thought I told you not to answer the phone," Phil's voice comes over the phone with a teasing lilt to it, almost as if he is trying not to laugh.

She can practically hear him smiling down the phone, regardless of whether she can see him or not. An amused chuckle escapes her as she rolls her eyes, the motion coming second nature even though there's no one to actually see her do it.

"Then stop calling me," she tells him.

"I had to check," he states with a playful tone.

His secretary is waving at him and tapping her finger at her watch.

"Alright, I gotta go," he tells her with a smile playing at his lips. "I'll see you at dinner."

"Ok," she replies, "and don't ring again!"

He laughs just a little at that and he has such a lovely laugh she thinks to herself.

"Can't make any promises," he says to her and it feels almost as if he is flirting with her. "I'll see you later."

She smiles to herself as she hangs up and can't help but feel just a little giddy inside, for what reason she's not sure. Maybe it's just the whole situation getting to her. This sort of thing doesn't happens to people like her, it feels almost too good to be true. And that's what worries her the most.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **So I wasn't sure if I should have put the dinner in this chapter but I decided to cut it there and just start it in the next chapter. Hope you guys are ok with that. Please tell me what you thought and if you have any ideas, I hopefully will touch a bit on Melinda's backstory a bit soon, not quite sure when though ;)**

 **Comments absolutely make my day!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

 **I haven't updated this in ages! I had this chapter sitting half done on my computer so I finally managed to get myself to finish it and it turned out quite a bit longer than I intended. I'm really enjoying writing this story any way, when I can convince myself to write that it. I hope you all enjoy it :)**

 ***WARNING: smut in the second half of the chapter***

* * *

He takes a moment to neaten himself up and readjust his tie as he walks over towards the lounge and bar section. An attendant greets him at the entrance where he enquires about whether or not his guest has arrived down yet.

"By the bar" the young man answers gesturing with his arm towards a woman seated at the bar with her back facing them.

Phil is stunned for a moment before he moves to approach her. He honestly had not recognised Melinda dressed the way she is.

"Hey," he greets her as he stands beside her catching her attention.

"Oh, hey," she looks him up and down and the playful glint in her eye makes him feel just a little too warm.

"You look lovely," he tells her as she stands.

The smile she gives him lights up her whole face and somehow makes her look even more beautiful. She looks gorgeous in her dark blue cocktail dress, the lace overlay making it look classy and stylish. Her hair is curled and tied up, showcasing her shoulders and neck elegantly with the dress sitting just off her shoulders. With just a change in wardrobe she looks like a completely different woman.

"You don't look too bad yourself," she teases him giving him a suggestive once over.

She isn't lying though because the man certainly does clean up well. Some men look good in a suit, and some men look goddamn fine in a suit. Phil falls in the latter category. Slipping her arm through his as social protocol dictates, they walk out together, arm in arm to where his waiting limousine takes them to the restaurant.

* * *

"Stop fidgeting," Phil tells her firmly but not unkindly.

She pats down the front of her dress one last time before dropping her hands by her sides. Looking around her she makes a conscious effort to keep herself from gawking at everything. The high vaulted ceilings, the chandelier, the penguin waiters, the mini orchestra. Rich people. It's almost unbelievable to think that people can consider this sort of stuff normal. Luckily for her, Phil leads them over to their table so she doesn't really have to pay too much attention to where she's going and can continue to stare at all the amazements of her surroundings. As they approach their table there is already an elderly man and a young man waiting.

"Robert Gonzales, this is Melinda May, a friend of mine," Phil introduces her to the elderly man who shakes her hand with a smile. "And this is Jeffrey, his grandson."

They then take their seats and she is taken by surprise a little, hair whipping around over her shoulder as she turned to look when one of the waiters pushed her chair in for her. A moment later she rises again and is unsure of how to react as all three men at the table rise at her movement. She pauses, stunned before Phil jumps in to save her.

"Where are you off to?" he asks simply.

"Uh, I'm going to the ladies room," she smiles quickly to disguise her brief moment of awkward confusion.

God, there are so many rules! How is a girl supposed to keep up with them all?

"Up the stairs and to the left," Phil tells her nodding his head in the direction of the stairs.

"Thank you," she smiles again before walking carefully away from the table following Phil's directions.

When she returns to the table she has sat down barely a moment before the first plate of food arrives. Her eyes glance down at it a little unsure of how to eat it appropriately, glancing at the others to watch how they approach the meal. No one has yet to start their food yet and she resists the urge to attempt it on her own for fear or making a mistake. Gonzales looks over to her as Phil and his grandson appear deep in conversation.

"I always find these easier with my fingers," he grins at her before picking up the entree with his fingers.

She smiles back at him with a slightly nervous laugh before tentatively attempting the food. Surprisingly she manages to get through it without any other major problems, and thinks that perhaps she will be able to get through the night okay. When the next plate of food is served she thinks that perhaps she spoke a little too soon.

"What is this?" she turns to Phil, mystified by the weird round things on her plate.

"It's escargot," he answers as if it is the most normal thing in the world, "try it."

She looks at him for a moment as if he is mad before shaking her head and assessing the situation on her plate and the best way to approach it. The first thought that comes into her mind is simply to just wait and copy what Phil does. It seems like a good plan at first until she is sitting there waiting for Phil who is too busy to focus on food because he is talking with Gonzales' grandson. Pursing her lips in thought she looks at the weird utensil on her plate and wonders how to use it. Fiddling around with it for a moment, Phil finally decides to eat a bit and she could quite literally breathe a sigh of relief. Slipping his fingers in the correct position she watches how he uses the tool before replicating it herself. It turns out eating escargot requires more skill than one would imagine and is sort of time consuming for very little reward. It also seems that strength is a prerequisite for eating this particular food as she applies force to the strange round things on her plate, trying to hold it tight in order to access the meat. Except the one thing she wasn't prepared for is the slippery shell, watching with horror as it slips from her grip and goes flying across the room away from her. It sails through the air only to be caught due to the fast reflexes of one of the waiters.

"Ha, slippery lil suckers," she tries to laugh it off but it doesn't seem like the men are really too bothered by what she does. "Sorry," she tells the waiter who caught her runaway food.

"You'd be surprised how often that happens," he says as he reassures her that it's alright.

Smiling at him trying to hide the wide grin that wants to split her face, she attempts the food a second time. Whilst she works to improve her technique, the discussion between the men steadily becomes more heated. Pausing to place her food back on the plate, she watches as Gonzales rises from his chair, his grandson following him up as well.

"I will not let you destroy my company!" Gonzales states none too happily, " mark my words Mr Coulson, never will you get your hands on what's mine."

Melinda watches, surprised by the sudden turn of events.

"Enjoy your meal," Gonzales tells them with a polite nod in her direction though the anger is evident on his features.

His grandson follows after him as they rise from the table and leave, throwing a dirty look in Phil's direction. She turns to look at Phil who has his head resting on his hand leaning on the table. The atmosphere is tense and she can see the heaviness in his shoulder.

"Hey," she calls softly resting a hand gently on his arm,

Tilting his head just enough, he opens his eyes to look at her.

"That was a disaster," he sighs heavily in defeat.

"It wasn't so bad, " she tries to reassure him "I mean, if anything was a disaster it was me. Did you see me with those snails. I was like a mad woman."

He smiles weakly at her attempt to try and lighten the situation, taking a deep breath before rising up from his chair and holding his hand out for her.

"Let's go."

She looks at him for a moment, gaze heavy and eyes filled with a depth he hasn't seen before. Then the moment is broken as she rises from her seat, taking his hand.

* * *

Watching as he paces on the balcony, she notes that he stays very close to the doors, never venturing anywhere close to the balcony wall that is but four feet of cement separating him from plummeting twenty one floors to the ground. He is on the phone talking to some work colleague of his and he's been out there for more than half an hour now. The tie around his neck hangs limply as he'd loosened the knot about the time they'd crossed the threshold into the suite, also the time that he'd ditched his jacket which now hangs over the back of the chair at his desk. The white sleeves of his shirt are uncuffed and rolled up to his elbows and she finds herself becoming slightly distracted as the muscles of his arms flex beneath the thin white fabric of his shirt.

Finishing his phone call, he lets out a deep sigh, hand on his forehead as tries to calm the torrent of emotions within him. Right now he needs to keep a cool head and not let his emotions ruin his better judgement. Closing his eyes for a moment, he tries to centre himself and objectively consider what should be his next step. The sound of the balcony door sliding open breaks through his thoughts, causing him to open his eyes and turn towards the noise. Melinda looks at him with slight uncertainty as she lingers in the doorway.

"Hey," he says tiredly, not quite able to conjure a smile for her.

"Hey," she replies carefully as she leans back to rest against the wall by the door.

"I'm sorry about tonight," tells her because he's not sure if he had apologised to her about it before.

"I'm fine," she looks at him meaningfully with a raised eyebrow, "I'm sorry your night turned out so rough. I know that deal was important."

He sighs shaking his head, "we'll just have to wait and hope that he changes his mind."

Pushing off the wall, she makes the few short steps to stand in front of him, placing a hand on his arm.

"What do you want to do now?" she asks as he stares down at where her hand rests on his bare forearm, fingers warm on his cool skin.

He thinks over her question quietly as he raises his own hand to cover her smaller one on his arm, absentmindedly rubbing his thumb over the smooth skin on the back of her hand. What does he want to do now? Just standing together in silence he feels almost as if a sense of peace has settled over him, only the distant sounds of the city below them and their synchronised breathing filling his breaking through his senses. A wind blows by, it's chill cutting and biting into his skin. Melinda shivers and he notices for the first time that she is barefoot and dressed only in a small black slip.

"We should head inside," he murmurs softly, feeling the need for quiet that the moment calls for.

She hums quietly in agreement but makes no movement towards the door. Rubbing his thumb over her hand just one last time, he pulls his hand away and steps back, leading her towards the door of the balcony back inside. Almost as if it has been set off by his presence, the phone on his desk rings loudly, disturbing the previous calm and quiet of the moment. Answering the phone, his brows knit together in a frown as he listens to whoever is on the other end. Melinda shuts the door behind her and drifts over to the lounge, cuddling up under a blanket. Listening to the sound of Phil's voice as he talks, she lets her eyes fall shut as she settles herself more comfortably.

Waking slowly, she notices the warm glow of the lamp in the corner of the room and the empty silence of the being alone. Rising from the lounge, she looks briefly at the clock and realises it is still the very early hours of the morning. Wandering through the suite, she finds no sign of Phil, and the bed is made so it would seem that he hasn't been to sleep. Slipping into a robe she grabs from the back of a door, she picks up her key card and leaves the room in search of where he may have disappeared to. The elevator opens with a soft ding and the young attendant, Fitz, smiles at her with cheeks a slight shade of pink. Enquiring to him about where Phil may have gone off to, he takes her down to the lobby and directs her to one of the function rooms. As she approaches, she hears the beautiful notes of a piano being played, something sad and melancholy. Walking the distance into the room where the piano is sat by the side of the stage, she waits for him to finish the piece, content to just listen to him play. When the notes fade to an end he lets his hands fall from the keys and turns to face her.

"I didn't know you played," is all she says as he looks at her with something she can't quite discern.

"Only for strangers." he replies before turning to the few men who had been dotted about the room listening, "gentlemen, if you could please leave us."

She arches an eyebrow at him with a small smirk playing at her lips.

"People just do what you tell them to?" she asks.

He doesn't reply, instead reaching out and tugging her by the waist towards him.

"I guess they do," she answers her own question, allowing him to pull her closer.

Releasing a deep sigh, he lets his head tilt forward to rest against her stomach as her fingers card soothingly through the short strands of his hair. When he reaches for the belt tied around her waist holding the robe together her eyes widen slightly in surprise but she makes no move to stop him. As the edges of her robe fall away he takes a moment to admire the short little black slip she is wearing with lace lining the edges of it. Trailing his fingers along her sides as he stands, he feels the smooth texture of the fabric sliding beneath his fingertips. Their gazes lock and he finds himself craving the feel of her lips upon his. Pressing forward, he tilts his head just so, but she dodges his advance, instead curling herself around him to press her lips to his neck. His hands grip her waist tightly before he lifts her up, setting her atop the roof of the piano. His hold of her remains though as he shifts her forward pressing her body closer to his. A quiet moan escapes her lips as their hips meet and she feels him through the fabric of his pants, hard and ready, pressing against where she is already wet. He lets out a soft grunt, slipping his hands beneath her slip and coasting them up along her thighs, fingers flirting with the lace of her panties. Her own hands are not idle, settling into the back pockets of his pants and holding him close as she nips and sucks at his neck. She bites lightly at his neck when he reaches a hand into her panties and slips two fingers inside her, thumb pressing against her clit. Soothing the bite with her tongue, she feels him start to move his fingers inside her. He presses his lips to her throat as she tilts her head back in pleasure, dark curls cascading down her back as her teeth sink into her bottom lip to keep herself from making any sound. Sucking a bruise onto the skin of her neck, breathing in the delicious scent of her hair, he senses the moment right before she comes. A soft moan breaks sound from her throat as she sinks her teeth into his shoulder, biting down as he carries her through her climax, a quiet whimper sounding from her as she sinks against him and he removes his fingers from her. He nuzzles at her neck as she gradually regains her senses, pulling back just far enough to look at him, the message clear in her eyes.

Without further communication, he picks her up off the piano and leads her back towards the elevator back to their room, her hand grasped tightly in his. As soon as the door shuts behind them her robe is on the floor and her fingers are already working rapidly to undo the buttons of his shirt. As it falls from his shoulders he scoops his arms around her, picking her up as her legs wrap around his waist. He walks them to the bedroom as she mouths at his neck, and places her down on the bed. She looks up at him through dark lashes, lips dark red and glistening, skin flushed and hair spread out on the sheets around her. A smirk pulls at her lips as she sits up and reaches out to him in front of her, fingers tugging at the belt loops of his pants before undoing the top button and zipper. Slipping a small hand into his briefs, his eyes flutter shut as she takes a hold of him and begins to move her hand over him. It's too much and not enough.

Placing a hand on her wrist, he removes her touch from him as he reaches over to the nightstand to pull out a condom. Ridding himself of his trousers and briefs, he rips open the packet, slipping the condom on and gives himself a few quick pumps before turning back to Melinda. When he does however, he finds her lying on the bed waiting for him, her lacy back slip puddled on the floor by the bed, in nothing more than a pair of black lace panties. He feels his cock twitch at the mere sight of her laid out for him. Leaning forward he lets his lips ghost down from her neck to her stomach, nipping lightly at her hip bones just above the top of her panties. Grasping the scrap of lace in his hands, he tugs it gently down her legs and off before lining himself up with her centre.

He lets out a soft groan as he bottoms out and feels her arch up slightly against his chest, a soft whimper leaving her throat. Her fingers press firmly into his shoulder blades and he takes his cue to move when she wraps her legs tightly around his waist. Starting off slow and steady, he lets himself pull out almost all the way with only the head of his cock resting at her entrance before slamming his hips forward and up with a thumb pressing firmly on her clit making her writhe on the bed beneath him. It's not long before he has her coming, a wordless cry escaping her lips as she arches up against his chest, a hand fisted tightly in the sheets. He keeps moving though, his pace gradually increasing as Melinda tightens her legs around him, urging him on as she comes down from her high. He drives himself forward, hips moving faster as he seeks his own release. Shifting her leg up higher, Melinda opens herself up further to him allowing him to slide in even deeper than before, causing a rough growl to escape his throat and a deep moan from her own.

Still sensitive from her two previous climaxes, she can already feel herself building up to a third as Phil pistons his hips sliding deep and hard into her, hitting the spot that makes sparks shoot behind her eyelids. He slides a hand up into her hair, grasping the long dark strands and tugging firmly on them so she tilts her head back. Baring her neck to him where he presses his lips to her, biting gently and sucking a bruise onto the soft skin just behind her ear. Feeling the tell tale signs of his orgasm coming, he rubs the pad of his thumb roughly against her clit, wanting her to fall off that precipice with him. His climax hits him powerfully, the pleasure crashing over him as he finally has release. Continuing to thrust his hips as he carries out the pleasure, he keeps rubbing at her clit until he feels her walls tightening around him as she comes just moments after him. His head falls to rest on her shoulder and her fingers run through his hair as he breathes heavily against her skin. They stay together like that for a while, still joined together even after he's gone soft inside her. Eventually he pulls away, slipping out of her and moving off the bed to dispose of the condom and get a drink. When he returns with a bottle of water in hand, he finds Melinda asleep, the sheet wrapped messily around her and dark hair spread out across the pillow. Placing the bottle of water down on the nightstand, he presses a soft kiss to her forehead before slipping into bed beside her.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Well that got a bit intense... Please let me know what you thought, I'm dying to hear feedback from you guys.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** **I can't believe it's been almost 6 months since the last update! What the hell right? Anyway, here is a lovely new update for y'all and I hope you enjoy.**

 ***WARNING* smut in the second half of the chapter.**

 **you're welcome ;)**

* * *

She watches as his fingers move deftly, tying the silken fabric into a knot as he tightens it to rest snugly at his throat.

"Do you have to go into work so soon?" She asks leaning forward towards her bent knees, leaving the bed's quilt sandwiched between her chest and her knees.

His eyes flicker over to her in the mirror as he smooths down his tie.

"After the disaster of last night there are a few things that I need to attend to. Also I'd like you to go out and perhaps get yourself a few more outfits today."

She frowns at that, entirely not excited to have to spend a day shopping - or rather being ignored. "I don't want to go shopping," she states looking away from his reflection in the mirror.

He pauses for a moment before continuing with getting dressed. "I thought women loved shopping?" He asks curiously, surprised by her reaction.

"The women in the stores weren't very nice to me," she shrugs refusing to look back at him in the mirror.

At her admittance he stops entirely and turns to face her.

"They were mean to you?" He asks, needing to clarify the situation as a hard look crosses his features.

She nods, eyes downcast and embarrassed by the situation. She is well aware of how most people regard her profession and knows that it's not what would be considered 'respectable', but she has her pride all the same and it hurts to be treated like she is worth less than a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of someone's shoe.

"Well, I guess I won't be heading into work so soon then," Phil says turning to pick up his phone.

A frown crinkles her brow as she is left unsure of what exactly he means by that. He doesn't elaborate however, instead dialling on his phone. She can only hear one side of the conversation but gathers from it that he has postponed his arrival at the office. Finishing his phone call, he turns to her with a slightly steely look in his eyes that she hasn't seen before.

"Get dressed and ready and then we'll head out," he says gently before leaving the room to provide her with some privacy.

She watches after his retreating form, questions still on her lips as she wonders what it is about this man that makes him different from all the rest. To most he seems quite unassuming, a powerful man of course with a great deal of influence, but he has more heart than she expected. Those that usually employ her services are hard men, men that crave power and control, men looking for an outlet to unleash their darkest desires and exert their dominance over another person. Phil Coulson is not like those men. From both the field that she works in and from difficult past experiences, she has learnt to read people. When she is with Phil and he is open with her, he is surprisingly warm and kind, something which she is not particularly used to. His sincerity is another matter altogether, the way in which he seems to genuinely care about her own needs is puzzling and she cannot honestly say that she understands why he seems to care about her well being so much. Afterall, she is only doing her job and he is paying her for it. From what she's experienced in life, she has learnt that the only thing people truly care about is themselves, and when push comes to shove, they will throw everyone else under the bus in order to secure their own best interests. Which is why Phil Coulson is such a mystery of a man to her.

* * *

Her skin itches as they walk down the street, all their stares burning into her back as she tries desperately not to pay attention to them.

"Everyone's staring," she mutters lowly, clinging close to Phil's side.

"They're looking at me," he says with confidence, barely sparing anyone else a glance as he continues on,

She knows it's not true, regardless of how much confidence Phil might have she knows that no one is truly looking at him unless it's in shock that he is consorting with company such as herself. They are all looking at her.

When they walk into the store that Phil has chosen as their place to throw money at, they are immediately greeted by the store manager. Phil doesn't even give him a chance to utter a word before he tells the man exactly what he is after.

"See this young woman," he turns to Melinda directing the man's gaze towards her. "Do you have anything in the store as beautiful as her?" He asks with a hard glint in his eyes that warms the man to tread carefully.

"Yes," the manager exclaims before carefully backtracking at the look on Phil's face. "I mean only things that are as beautiful as she would want them to be," he smiles desperate to impress Phil.

"Good," Phil tells the manager, assessing the man with cool blue eyes, "because we are going to be spending an obscene amount of money in here today."

The man practically squeals with excitement at Phil's words.

"And we will be needing some major sucking up," Phil adds incase the man wasn't already aware.

"Right," the man nods his understanding before calling upon the assistance of his three store assistants who immediately begin to shower Melinda in compliments and suggestions of what she might like.

Phil smiles at her from his position near the store counter as she looks over at him, a silent question asked in her eyes as she tilts her head towards one of the outfits the sales women are offering her. Almost imperceptibly he shakes his head no to which she smiles back at him before telling the women she'd prefer a different outfit. An hour goes by in much the same fashion, interspersed with phone calls from the office and Grant panicking over the phone at him about how desperately he needs to come into the office. When the manager sidles over to him enquiring about just how obscene an amount of money he would be spending today, he tells the man that they are planning to spend a hugely disgusting, obscene amount of money and reminds the man that they will be needing more sucking up. Of course he has to redirect the man's flatteries over to Melinda when he begins showering him in pretty words which is entirely not what _he_ was after.

"Not me," tells the man with a raised eyebrow as he tips his head towards Melinda, "her."

The man smiles, brushing off the mistake easily as he returns over to where the women are 'oohing' and 'ahhing' over shoes. Phil manages another half hour in the store until he cannot postpone going into the office any longer.

"I have to head over to the office," he tells Melinda as he appears over her shoulder whilst she is leaning back on the low sofa. "Just a few hours but I should be home for dinner tonight."

She smiles with a nod and presses a quick kiss to his cheek before he leaves. The action is so oddly domestic that for a moment Phil is left reeling, unsure of what the rapid beating of his heart inside his chest means.

Armed with Phil's credit card, Melinda spends a few more hours in the store after he leaves which included a smothering of compliments and flatteries, along with two pizzas and a couple of Bellinis. At the end of the day she has a half dozen bags hanging from her arms, not to mention the numerous shoe boxes that Mr Mackenzie had kindly loaded up into the car for her. Having found herself a great many new outfits, Melinda had also picked up a lovely new tie for Phil which she'd eyed on the young male sales attendant who had gladly handed it over to her. It had swirls of different blues in the pattern, and she'd thought that the soft, lighter blues would be just perfect for highlighting Phil's beautiful baby blue eyes. It is only once she returns to the penthouse that she realises the thought is oddly sentimental and just slightly outside the norm for business associates. Because that is what they are, business associates, and anything that happens between them is strictly business. Of course that doesn't mean that they can't have fun, and she has just the idea of how they might have some when he comes home.

* * *

One important thing that she's learnt in her life is that timing is everything and it is certainly no exception for the surprise that she has planned for Phil. She's ready, waiting for him as soon as he opens the door and it's hard to contain the excitement bubbling inside her chest. Sometimes she wonders whether that excitement she feels at seeing him is normal, but she mostly just brushes it off as the thrill that comes from working with such a rich and powerful man.

"How was your day at work dear?" She asks him as he walks into the room, head bent down as he looks at the letters in his hand.

He raises his head at her greeting, eyebrows rising as he takes in the sight of her laid out in nothing but the tie she'd bought for him that day and pair of black heels, reclining in a chair at the dining table, feet crossed at the ankles and propped up on the table.

"I wanted to surprise you" she smiles at him, a seductive little smile.

His eyes roam over her as she leans back in the chair and drops her left leg to the floor, black stiletto heel settling with a click on the marble floor. He approaches her slowly, dropping his briefcase on the lounge along with the letters before moving to stand between her spread legs.

"I bought it for you," she tells him with the cutest little grin as she watches him eyeing the tie around her neck.

"But I like the way it looks on _you_ ," he looks at her with a hint of a boyish grin pulling at his lips as his fingers gently pick up the tie, thumb smoothing over the silk fabric.

She looks up at him through dark lashes as she sinks her teeth into her bottom lip. Reaching out he cups her cheek in his palm, leaning in closer to press his lips to her jaw as she tilts her head up towards him. The subtle fragrance of the sweet perfume she is wearing fills his senses as he presses his lips to her pulse point.

"God you're gorgeous," he mumbles against her skin as he reaches a hand down between her legs, spreading the wetness between her thighs and making her gasp softly as she tilts her hips into his touch. "So wet."

Her only response is a soft whine as he presses a single finger into her, his thumb circling her clit as the slightly rough fabric of his suit jacket brushes against the silky soft skin of her thighs. She moans quietly as he slips another finger into her, pressing into her deeper and curling them against the spot inside her that makes stars appear behind her eyelids.

"Phil," she sighs softly as he palms one of her breasts in his hand, kneading the flesh and pinching occasionally as she arches into his touch.

His lips move over her neck, pressing open mouthed kisses to her exposed jugular as she tilts her head back for him, bucking slightly beneath him as he bites at her pulse. A moment later her feels a rush of wetness slip down his fingers as her walls tighten around them, a low keening noise leaving her throat as she comes. He keeps his fingers moving, carrying her through her orgasm until she opens her eyes to looks at him, a smile on her lips.

"Hungry?" She asks as he removes his fingers from her, tilting her head in question towards the other end of the table were it has been set for dining.

"For you," he replies in a growl, voice deepened by his arousal.

She smirks up at him as she reaches a hand out to cup the front of his trousers, eyebrow raising as she feels the hardness of his erection straining against the fabric.

"Well perhaps we should eat something," she looks at him teasingly through dark lashes as her nimble fingers begin deftly undoing the belt and button of his trousers before dragging down the zip.

His usually blue eyes are now dark with lust, pupils blown wide as her watches her lean forwards as she pushes him back slightly to stand up straight. Gentle fingers tug down the fabric of his trousers, closely followed by his boxers before his cock is engulfed in the most wonderful wet heat as Melinda takes him down her throat in one swift motion. Almost unconsciously he fists a hand in her hair, the silky dark strands clenched tightly in his fingers as he tries to keep himself from thrusting into her mouth as she gently cups his balls in one hand, the other hand with fingers firmly pressing into his ass as she holds him in place, head bobbing.

"Melinda," he manages to grind out between his teeth as he struggles to keep his control.

She pauses for a moment to look up at him, lips still wrapped around his cock and it takes all his self control not to just come down her throat. It's one of the hottest things he has ever seen.

"I want you over the table," he tells her, missing the warmth of her mouth as she releases him with a wet pop and rises to her feet with a mischievous smile as she maintains eye contact.

"Like this?" She asks teasingly, positioning herself over the table, bent at the waist and resting on her forearms as she pushes her ass out towards him with a naughty little grin as she looks at him over her shoulder.

He barely manages to keep in the groan that wants to escape him at the sight of her spread out before him, waiting for him to take her as he hurriedly slips on the condom retrieved from his wallet.

"Perfect," he whispers in her ear, breath warm on her skin before he pushes himself inside her without any further warning.

She arches against him with a breathless cry as he unexpectedly enters her, her back pressing against his still clothed chest as his hands settle at her hips holding her flush against him.

"Phil," she pleads desperately as he holds still inside of her feeling her walls fluttering around him as her body takes its time to adjust around him.

What she's pleading for she's not entirely sure but all she knows is that it's intense and she wants more.

"Please," she whispers quietly as she lets her head drop down, hair falling in a curtain shrouding her face.

Something about the way she whispers the word strikes a chord within him and for a moment he believes that she actually wants him. Only him. Pressing his lips to her skin he places a kiss between her shoulder blades right along her spine before he begins slowly thrusting his hips. He curls a hand in her hair, drawing it over one of her shoulders to allow him access to her neck where he presses open mouthed kisses. A low moan breaks from her throat as he tightens his hand in her hair tilting her neck to the side to expose more of her deliciously soft skin. The sound triggers some sort of primal desire within him making him tug slightly on the dark strands of her hair in his grasp as he bites at the junction between her shoulder and neck eliciting a gasp from her that only drives him on further.

"Harder," she begs him desperately in a voice roughened with arousal.

He doesn't need to be asked twice and in a split second he is pistoning his hips faster, pounding into her harder as she cries out beneath him. The sound goes straight to his cock but he'll be damned if he doesn't make her come with him. Reluctantly relinquishing his hold of her hair, he reaches around to rub quick hard circles roughly against her clit as he struggles to hold on to the last of his control. His other hand holds tight to her waist, keeping her in place and pulling her back towards him when he pushes his hips forwards. It takes only a couple of moments before she crests with cut off cry, almost slumping against the table as her knees threaten to give out. He follows her seconds later, continuing to thrust both of them through their orgasms as he keeps his hands firm on her waist holding her up against him.

"So perfect," he whispers against her skin as he presses gentle kisses along the length of her spine.

She merely lets out a soft groan beneath him, content to let him hold her, too spent to really care about what is going on around her other than the fact that she just experienced one of the most amazing orgasms of her life. He chuckles lowly and she can feel the rumbling vibrations travel through her from his chest to her back. Vaguely she is aware of the fact that he's still inside her even though he's already gone soft. She thinks that he must be uncomfortable in the spent condom but doesn't bother to say anything about it, and in some ways it feels almost more intimate than the amazing sex that they just had. If he wants to do anything about it he will she tells herself as she just enjoys the feeling of being cocooned by his body. It's just the warmth of him she tells herself. Nothing more.

It takes several minutes before either of them say anything and he finally leaves her to dispose of the condom.

"So I take it it was either a really good or a really bad day at work then?" She asks him teasingly when he returns, a playful smirk in place even though her body is mourning the loss of his warmth.

"Something like that," he smiles at her with that cute boyish grin that makes something flutter in her chest.

She smiles back at him and it's several moments more before either of them break the silence that has fallen over them. Undoing and removing the tie from around her neck she loops it around his neck, pulling Phil down to her level where she then places a light kiss on his nose.

"Come join me in the bath?" She asks, eyes sparkling with mischief.

He releases a chuckle as he wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her body flush against his.

"I'd love to," he replies simply before returning her gesture and placing a sweet kiss on her nose.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **So I contemplated including the bath scene but decided I'll put it in the next chapter instead. Let me know what you thought and if you're still enjoying the story, I know I have massive breaks between updates but I'm not giving up on this story yet so please don't give up on me. Throw me a bone and drop me a comment :)**


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